Heart on Display
by RewindedMiracle
Summary: To save his life an old friend comes back into Robb Stark's life, about to change it forever. Ferelden is a strange place for the King in the North but it might not be so bad after all. Rated M. AU for obvious reasons.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **_So I've been toying with this crossover for awhile now. I hope you all enjoy it. Reviews are appreciated. Feedback even more so. Thank you to Saga Svanhildr for betaing this for me. xoxo_

**Heart on Display**

_The mask you're wearing is hardly you_

_The lies you're preaching are nothing new_

_Your taste is precious_

_But your heart is growing cold again_

_The spell is tempting but your wishes seem to fold again_

_-"Someone Like You" by 12 Stones_

When the first raven had come, she sent word that the Grey Wardens could not interfere. Westeros was a long way from Ferelden and Warden-Commander Elissa Cousland was not willing to risk her men in her new position. When the second raven had come, she knew that Robb Stark was angry with her, telling her that she had betrayed everything they were supposed to have, betrayed him, and so many more things that she didn't want to think about again. She should have kept her father's promise to his house she knew, but she couldn't give in. She expected the third raven, but when it hadn't come, the youngest of the Couslands made a decision.

She was to sail south to a land where most of the people of Thedas would never go in their lifetime. Rules said that she had to ask the First Warden and beg pardon from the king, but rules be damned. She took her best men with her knowing that she would need them.

Since Alistair's wedding to Anora, she knew that she wasn't herself. If she had been, she would have jumped at the first opportunity to help Robb in his war. Her life became about her duty when she lost her love. _I am a Cousland and I do what I must. _It was a phrase she knew well and one that she said every day. When she hadn't received word from her oldest friend, she decided that she couldn't lose him as well.

"Are you sure this is wise?"

Elissa closed her eyes as she felt the cold yet salty wind from the ocean brush against her face. She opened them to see land just above the horizon. With a soft smile, she turned to see Loghain standing next to her. "The last time I was here my father promised me to Robb Stark," she told him. "You were here during the rebellion against the Mad King. Now there are several of them."

"And you wish to interfere?" The older man asked. She watched an eyebrow of his quirk slightly upwards as he looked down at her. His gauntleted hands gripped onto the wooden railing of the ship as the words left his lips. She couldn't tell if he was chastising her or if he was amused. Elissa just shook her head.

"No," she responded quietly. "I wish to save a friend and to honor a bond I dare not lose."

"And that is something that I can understand," he muttered under his breath, but the words were not lost to her. Loghain shook his head. It looked like he wanted to say more but she wasn't the type to press.

She had heard stories when she was little of heroes of legend. Loghain was among them with his adventures by King Maric's side. She wondered about all the things that he had done in the name of friendship. Could she be held at fault for interference? She didn't think so. The Wardens were allowed in Westeros, but none lingered longer than they would like. The scriptures and various books given to her by the First Warden said that an agreement had been struck shortly after the arrival of men. They had once lived in Thedas but chose to find themselves a new land to thrive on. Her order was allowed to recruit, but then they were to leave as soon as they were done. Westeros had their own equivalent to the Wardens; the Night's Watch.

Both had enemies of their own to fight.

But Elissa wasn't going there for a history lesson. She glanced at the Hero of River Dane and knew that she had made the right choice in letting him live. She couldn't have asked for a better man to have her back as they stepped into the unknown. Maker help her, but she was sure that she would have chosen the Blight over this.

"Thank you for coming with," she said to him. He looked as if he was surprised by her words, but they were the truth.

"Ah, I wouldn't let you go on your own," he replied. "After all… who better when it comes to war?" Only a few, but he did have a point. With Fergus busy rebuilding Highever, Zevran finishing business with the Crows and Alistair out of her life, she had no one, but it seemed that wasn't the case like she had originally thought. "May I ask you something?"

She crossed her arms in front of her body as she nodded. "Anything."

"What will your king think of this?" _Her king,_ she felt herself cringe.

She noted the way he worded his question. The older man had shown no respect to his daughter's husband and with all fairness she supposed. The day she let him live because she couldn't take a father away from his daughter was the day she saw a new side of Alistair, a side that she would never forget.

"He is not my king," she replied slowly.

It was a traitorous thing to say, but who better to understand than himself? Elissa was ready to give Alistair the crown, but he had not been ready to receive it. That had been a little fact that she had failed to see until it was too late. When Eamon suggested a marriage to Anora to strengthen what hold the crown already had, he took the offer with anger flaring in his eyes. He had even invited her to the wedding. As Hero of Ferelden and newly made Warden-Commander, she had had no choice but to attend.

"Most would be a fool to say that." He let out a small laugh because they both knew who it was that truly ruled over Ferelden.

"Am I a fool to trust these men and women to possibly defend a man that they don't even know? In a foreign land no less?" She asked quickly. She surprised herself as the question came out, but she couldn't take it back.

"No," he replied honestly. "They'd follow you into the Void if they had to." They had marched into the Deep Roads; they pretty much already had. "They respect you and it's a respect well earned, having fought you myself and yielded."

Elissa smirked. "Barely," she said. "It's good to know." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "After everything, why do I inspire such faith in you?"

"You are your father's daughter," Loghain said as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

She smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. "Thank you."

The fallen general, whom she now called friend, gripped onto her shoulder. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment yet or not." She couldn't help but agree.

* * *

"No." It was a soft whisper that escaped her, desperate and distraught. Winterfell was no more. The burned remains made her look away. She had no idea if the Starks were in their home as it burned, just like she had no idea about the extent of the war in which Robb had begged her to aide. She was too late. She should have come sooner. Their deaths were on her hands. Guilt racked her body. She felt everything shake as the ground moved before her. It was a moment of weakness that she couldn't afford, but she couldn't stop.

When her knees gave out, she was ready to fall with the tears that she had fought so hard to keep back. But as strong hands held her, she steadied on her feet. Elissa looked up at Loghain, appreciating him in a new manner that she never thought she would. She gave him a grateful nod as she wiped her cheeks dry.

"What is our next move?" Loghain asked quietly. She almost asked him to take the lead. In a land far away from home, it would've been easier. Women did not lead armies, even if it was a small one.

She looked back to the Wardens behind them. "We should stray from the Kingsroad, but unfortunately, it is the only route that I know," she said. "If Winterfell is lost, I fear we will have no allies in the North. We go South and pray to the Maker that a Stark still lives."

"It's a fool's notion, Commander," Loghain told her. "We should turn back. I'm sorry, but if this lord is dead, then we must leave."

"You owe me," she countered. "Give me this and the debt for your life is paid."

His nose wrinkled slightly. "I thought the debt was paid with that witch."

"That is a deal you would have taken even if I had turned her away," she shot back. Loghain tilted his head down slightly. She was right. Even with the taint as a death sentence, he had no plans to join the Maker until he was sure Ferelden was in safe hands.

"And if he is dead?"

"Then we push back to Ferelden."

That seemed enough for him.

On the way to the South, they came across a band of 'barbarians' as she knew they were called in these lands. They were those who didn't wish to swear to a house, whose loyalties laid with themselves. Their swords had been drawn but she didn't wish to fight, not until she had to. She asked about the Starks and had been told of the "War of the Kings." He was alive. Robb was alive and according to them, marching back to Winterfell. It took everything she had not to cry out and jump up and down.

"I imagine he'd be bringin' that wife of his back to leave her there. Broke an oath, that he did. That isn't the way of the North." Elissa wasn't sure what stung most about the barbarian's words. Had it been the fact that Robb actually went against his duty and honor, or the fact that he had a wife?

Emotions were something to hide in Westeros. She remained stoic, a feat that her father would take pride in. "Do you know where I can find him?" She asked. The King of the North, she couldn't believe it. When she had seen the words in Robb's handwriting, she had reduced it to nothing more than his oversized ego at work again.

"I'd imagine he's almost to the Twins by now. Bet the Frey's won't be happy when they see his queen."

She decided that she couldn't listen to another moment of his blundering. There was no time to waste. Elissa had gone against everything she knew as a warrior, as a leader, and even as a human being. She pushed her Wardens to the brink; they were ready to fall from exhaustion, fatigue and whatever else ailed them. Only then would she stop as she listened to Loghain's warnings that she would lose those loyal to her before she even began her tour as Commander of the Grey.

One never knew how to prepare for the unforeseen and the inevitable. Once you thought that you had a plan, a second one was usually needed. Elissa brought up a hand to rub the back of her neck as she felt the tension growing there. She didn't know how she felt about not having a backup plan, but she supposed that she was going to have to make do.

They made it to the Riverlands by nightfall the next day and the following morning the Twins came into view… and as they got closer, the sounds of battle could be heard inside. Elissa's pace quickened from a brisk walk to a sprint. A dagger was in one hand with her sword in the other. She attacked anyone that didn't wear the Starks' sigil until she was able to find Robb, bent over on his knees, head bowed and eyes closed. A sword rose above his head and Elissa screamed, "Stop!"

A woman's voice was unexpected in the halls, especially during battle. Men froze, all except for one. His dagger was aimed and ready for Robb Stark's heart. Elissa reared back her arm and threw her dagger as hard as she could. She watched as the blade sank into the man's hand. He cried out and dropped his own blade.

"Who…?" He asked but didn't finish his question. Robb's head snapped up. His mouth gaped open slightly as he looked at her. She gave him a soft smile as she assessed his wounds. He would need a healer. And soon.

"Elissa Cousland, Commander of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden," she introduced herself. Loghain moved by her side, sword in hand. "This is my second in command, Loghain Mac Tir." Her tongue rolled slightly over her lower lip. "You will stop what you're doing now."

"You have no say in my house, young one," she recognized the voice of Walder Frey. It had been a long time, but there was no mistaking the venom of someone who thought they were owed everything.

"Oh my Lord, my say goes farther than your house," Elissa called out to him. "Robb Stark belongs to me now. Conscripted into the Grey Wardens. You harm a hair on his head, you answer to Thedas. Do you understand?" A war with the continent past the sea of snow was not one that they wanted.

The one that readied the death blow for Robb took a step towards her and Loghain reacted, sword out, tip nearly grazing his Adam's apple. "Do not mistake me for one that would think twice," the older man told him.

There was so much death around them. They would not have long to get Robb out of there, along with themselves. She knew that the Wardens couldn't come back until the war in Westeros was over. Elissa moved toward Robb and helped him to his feet. "Ellie," he whispered.

"I've got you." The other men didn't make a move as she helped Robb out of the castle. "I need a healer!" She called out to her men. One of the mages came quickly as she set the Young Wolf on the ground. She quickly helped to remove his armor before she started to feel the warm tingling of magic crawling over her skin.

She moved as she heard someone coming behind her but stopped when Robb grabbed her hand. Elissa turned her head to see that it was only Loghain, grim look and all. "Is he fit for travel?" She asked the healer.

"Not if you rush me," he replied.

The Warden-Commander frowned and looked down at Robb. His eyes were closed and she wondered if he was able to find peace in those moments. His life was about to change in ways that he could never have dreamed.

"Someone wishes to speak with you, Commander," Loghain said quietly.

"Then let them speak."

"It seems that my house owes your family another debt." That was a voice that she hadn't expected. Elissa stood up quickly, letting go of Robb's hand to face Lady Stark.

"My Lady…" she didn't know what to say.

Catelyn smiled sadly at him. "I should thank you," she told her. "I've lost…so much already. I could have not have endured losing Robb."

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"As am I," the older woman said. Her hard eyes watched Elissa and the young Cousland did her best not to cower.

"Lady Stark," she began as she crossed her arms in front of her body. "If I take him, there's a chance that he won't survive the Joining." The words were almost lost on her lips. It was hard telling someone that a loved one might die. But she had learned from experience that nothing could soften the blow of reality.

"But there is a chance that he might live," Catelyn said. "If he remains here, then his life is forfeit." Too many people wanted him dead. "Please…please take him." She didn't need to be asked twice. "And I must ask you one last thing. If he asks, tell him that I am dead."

Elissa flinched. "Why?" She asked. "As someone who has lost their parents, knowing that both are dead… I know that it changes a person."

"If my son is the man I think he is, then it will serve him good, and I pray that one day he and I can be together again."

"What of Sansa? Of Arya? Bran and Rickon?" She asked softly. She knew better than to ask of Jon. When she saw the pained look on the woman who could have once been her mother-in-law, Elissa reached out and touched her arm gently. "I will do what you ask of me."

"I had hoped to one day call you a daughter," she said softly. "Even if our houses did not join, I'd like to think of you as one."

She smiled at Lady Stark. "You are a true mother," Elissa told her. "May your Gods watch over you."

* * *

A small gasp echoed through the cabin. "Relax," Elissa said gently as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're safe." Blue eyes stared at her, wide and unsure. He looked away and sighed.

"Safe is a relative term," he told her quietly. "Where am I?"

"On a ship," she said, "to Ferelden." Robb started to sit up. A groan left him as he winced in pain. He brought up his hands to touch where his wounds had been. "The healers did what they could. Your wounds are gone, but there may be some internal injuries they'll want to tend to better when we get back to Vigil's Keep."

"The Howe's place?"

"Mine now," she told him.

His nose crinkled slightly. It really had been too long since they had last spoken to each other. "I bet Nathaniel loves that," he said under his breath. She wouldn't know but she didn't say anything. "Why am I going to Ferelden?"

"It was the only way to save you," she replied. "I conscripted you into the Wardens."

His eyes narrowed at her. "What?" He yelled. "You can't do that! What gives you the right? Gods, Elissa, I belong in Westeros, in the North with-"

"You're wife, I know," she replied. "It's hard to be King of the North when you're dead, even harder when you must leave the title behind for another cause." She pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed.

"Wife," he repeated the word. She barely heard him but nodded still. "You know?" It was funny how he never mentioned it to her.

"Yes." Her hands fumbled slightly with her drakeskin armor. She needed something to keep her distracted.

"Ellie, I…"

"You don't have to explain yourself," she told him, "but remember this moment the next time you want to preach to me in a letter about family duties and honor."

"Don't patronize me," he shot back. "I have my reasons."

Elissa groaned. Sometimes she forgot how much younger he was than her. Sometimes four years seemed like nothing, but at other times it felt like the gap was endless. "As do I," she said as she got up, ready to leave. Names and insults readied but she bit them back. She had already lost enough people in her life, she didn't need to lose another…even though there was the chance he wouldn't survive the Joining.

"Oh?" He asked as his eyebrows rose.

"You're a fool, you know that?"

For a brief moment, she felt human. Feelings of anger and hurt rippled over her. It wasn't like she should care. She had had Alistair. But where did that get her? There weren't feelings between Robb and her, only expectations of old promises. Promises that were broken and couldn't be kept. She should have been used to it. That didn't make it sting any less.

"I've been called worse," he replied. She was sure. Robb sucked in a sharp breath. "They wanted to kill me."

Elissa nodded. "Why were you there?"

"I just wanted peace. To make up for what I did."

A small smirk graced her features. "Like I said, a fool." He glared at her. "I've got to check on the others," she said. "Get some rest."

"Don't go." The pleading in Robb's voice put a hesitation in her step. Yes, he was still so young despite everything that he had been through. His emotions made his age very clear, though she was sure the same could be said of herself.

"I don't want to stay."

She didn't even want to look at him. Robb sighed and reached out to her but she pulled away. "What of my mother?"

Lady Stark's request was still fresh on her mind. She couldn't face him because she knew if she did, she wouldn't be able to tell him the truth. "She's dead," she told him, voice thick. "I'm sorry." She wanted to leave. She wanted to walk away. She wanted to keep her resolve.

Then she heard his quiet sobbing. Elissa spun on her heels and went to him. She took him into her arms and comforted him. It was what he needed. It was what she needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_Thank you to Saga Svanhildr for betaing. I'm sorry that this took so long to update. I HAVE NO ABANDONED THIS. I really do have a wild story in story for you all. Hope you're ready._

**Heart on Display**

_And I've been taking chances,_

_I've been setting myself up for the fall,_

_I've been keeping secrets,_

_From my heart and from and from my soul_

_-"Lover to Lover" by Florence and the Machine_

The breeze of the Waking Sea had been a familiar comfort. Elissa knew that they were close to Ferelden when the silhouette of Amaranthine had come into view. It was still in the rebuilding stage since the Mother had sent her darkspawn followers into the city. She had almost let it burn but she decided to save it instead. It wasn't the city that Robb would remember, if he even remembered it at all.

"I was ungrateful before and I'm sorry." The Warden-Commander turned her head to look at the Young Wolf and nodded. She almost lifted a hand to push an auburn curl away from his forehead, a motion that she had done before when they were close, but she found herself resisting as she nodded and turned back to the city.

"Did you ever think you'd see the city again?" She asked lightly.

"No," came a soft reply. With a tilt of her head, she glanced at him. "I thought Westeros would be my home until my days ended." They almost had, she wanted to tell him, but she left that unspoken. She knew how he felt though, just like she knew that he would need to cope with it on his own terms. "May I ask something?" She had a feeling that he might anyways. "Your second in command…"

Elissa held up a hand. "Is a priceless addition to the Order and whatever he says or does will not be questioned."

"I remember when you dreamt of being in Maric's Shield with him," Robb said. Amusement laced his tone but his lips had been tight. Oh, the hopes of a warrior girl. She wanted to be known in history, to make such an impact much like Andraste herself had.

"I remember when you dreamt of being the better swordsman," she teased.

"And I am." Elissa rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. It was very much like him to think so. The confidence reminded her of the times their fathers would watch them spar with wooden swords. While ladies in Westeros weren't encouraged to fight, in Ferelden it wasn't unheard of for a woman to be on the battlefield…despite her mother's protests that she would not join their ranks in history. The Maker had a funny way of making things work.

She would have liked to be able to say that it wasn't like time had passed between them, but it was a lie. As the boat docked, she thought about when they were younger and chatter filled the air between them, but now there was nothing but silence. Both were no longer children and carried burdens that most didn't dream of having.

Whenever he looked at her, she gave him her best reassuring nod or smile, anything that she could muster. But keeping the fact that Lady Stark was alive from him weighed heavier on her than she thought it would. Her weight shifted from one foot to the next as her fingers danced nervously over her armor. She would look between Robb and Loghain and when the older man caught her stare, he pulled her aside.

"You look like you wish to speak." She knew it was more of a statement than a question. Loghain had way of stating the obvious, she could give him that. Elissa's tongue ran over her lower lip as she nodded. Robb was away speaking with one of the other Wardens that had accompanied them and she was sure he couldn't hear them.

"What if he doesn't survive?" She asked. The Warden-Commander had planned on asking his opinion about Lady Stark but another concern spoke for itself instead. "He's lost so much, the fact that he could lose his life to this… He would have rather died at the Twins."

Loghain raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure of this?" He asked. She opened her mouth to reply that she was but then closed it quickly and the older man chuckled. No, she hadn't been sure. It seemed that there were several things that she was unsure of now. "It was his choice to come," he told her. No. It wasn't. She wanted to ask him about Catelyn but that was a subject better left unspoken. "He could have stayed, atoned for usurping, but he left with you. He's ready to die. Don't underestimate that, my friend."

Elissa nodded. So that was what Robb had wished to speak with her over. The bitterness in the word 'usurper' was not lost on her. She would be an idiot to forget what he fought for to free Ferelden from Orlais. She supposed the War of the Kings or whatever they were calling it across the sea could be the same."I don't think I can be there," she admitted.

"It is your duty," he reminded her. Loghain's voice was cold but assertive. When her dutiful ways faltered, he was there to remind her of them. She nodded to let him know that she knew. She knew it all too well.

"You won't let me forget," she countered with a small smirk playing across her lips.

"Never."

* * *

The words of the ritual were recited by Vigil's Keep Seneschal and Elissa's eyes lowered to the ground so she couldn't bear witness to the chalice lifting to Robb's lips. The bravery he showed on his face was commendable, but Maker help her she had seen nothing that resembled fear. She wondered what Lady Catelyn would think seeing him now. Would she be just as scared as she was? _He's ready to die_, she remembered Loghain's words. It wouldn't be fair. Not after everything he had gone through.

She wondered briefly about what his wife would say. Did she think him dead? Elissa was sure that the Frey's would rather spread rumor of death than let the fact of their defeat by a woman be known.

"Commander," Loghain whispered behind her.

Duty called. She didn't want to look. Maker help her, that must have made her a horrible person, and an even worse friend. She was the reason Robb was there and she couldn't even give him a glance before he could have possibly lost his life. Her courage was failing. Too much had been lost. The word 'stop' hung at the tip of her tongue, waiting to be spoken, to command the ceremony's end, but where else would he go? He had to be made a Warden, didn't he? Otherwise the Rite of Conscription would be tossed out the window.

Elissa looked up to see that her old friend had waited until she looked to take his drink of the darkspawn blood. She winced slightly as he wiped the residue from his lips with the back of his hand. Defiant and wanting to prove himself, she watched as Robb stood there until his eyes turned white and he fell. The rogue moved quick enough to catch her head from hitting the ground. She rested his head against her lap as her hand ran through his auburn curls. _Maker have mercy._ Her vision blurred, fading the sight of his body against the ground.

There was only one thing to do in that moment. He didn't seem cool against her touch. That was always a good sign. Her fingers found his wrist and she felt his pulse. Silently, she thanked the Maker and even gave silent gratitude to Robb's nameless gods.

"He lives," she announced with a sigh of relief.

She looked down at the spittle leaking from a corner of his lips. Her hand cradled his face as her thumb wiped the rest away. Elissa smiled to herself and summoned Nathaniel into the room to help her take their old friend to the Warden barracks. They laid him on an unoccupied bed and she glanced at Howe. "You did your best to avoid him on his arrival," she said to him. "He expected you to greet him."

Nathaniel said nothing but left the room and she followed. When they were out of ear shot of Robb and his potential of awakening, Nate turned to face her. "I couldn't face him," he replied. "After everything my father's done, it's stained my family name. Losing another friend…" He didn't have to say anymore. Of those who had known Anders best, he had been affected the most by the loss.

She raised a hand and clasped Nate's shoulder. "You can't ignore him forever," she chided him softly. If their positions had been reversed, Elissa wondered if she would have done the same thing. Maker, some could consider that she had when she ignored some of his ravens. She could feel her stomach twist with a pang of guilt.

The dark haired man rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother." A small smile graced his features before he moved past her. Elissa glanced back to see the faint line of the doorway of the room Robb was in. Temptation would lead her back but it was better if they would have space until he sought her out. There was going to be a lot of Ferelden that she was going to have to explain to him.

* * *

His head was throbbing. A groan escaped him as he tried to sit up. Where…where was he? His eyes focused on the room around him. It was certainly one that he didn't recognize. "You've been out for three days." He couldn't place the voice either.

"Where am I?" He asked, eyes squinting. The last thing that he remembered was… _Mother_, he thought. Oh Gods be good. They were dead. They were all dead.

"Vigil's Keep," his visitor told him, "don't worry. I wouldn't want to remember this place either if I had the choice." Robb paused. He remembered then. He remembered the feeling as arrows had pierced his flesh. He remembered the helpless feeling on his knees as Roose Bolton whispered, _'Jaime Lannister sends his regards.' _The Freys had been traitors and he had left his men to die.

Robb realized who was with him. "Nathaniel?" He asked. His hair was longer than he had remembered but it was the same boy…or rather man now that he had known when he was younger. There was no mistaking that.

"The one and only, Stark," he said with a grin. Nate extended a hand out to him and lifted him to his feet. "You've had the Commander in a worry. I don't think I've seen Ellie fret so much since we were kids."

"Is that what you'd call it?" Both men laughed. Robb's fingers twitched at his side. His old clothes were gone and wore a long gray shirt and fitted black pants. His nails grazed the fabric. "I was changed?" His face twisted in confusion before Nathaniel looked like he wanted to burst into a fit of laughter.

The other man clapped his hand against his shoulder. "Many things happen during the Joining and your old clothes were ruined, my friend," he explained. "I guess we're just lucky you were Thomas's size." Robb felt his cheeks radiating with heat as he looked to the ground. Wonderful. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "The armor was made by our smithy, Wade. Ellie had him make it after your Joining."

His eyes fell on the pale silver armor. It only took a few steps to reach it. His fingers ran gently over the material. He was sure that it was dragon bone. He lifted the plate and felt how light it was and smiled slightly. Of course it was a gift from her…but it was one he didn't feel worthy of. "Thanks," was the only word the Young Wolf could muster.

Nate nodded and turned to leave. He hesitated at the door and turned back to Robb. "I'm sorry," he apologized. Robb wondered for what but then he realized and nodded. Nate's had been the only face that he hadn't seen upon his arrival. "Don't nod, Stark, you'll make it seem like it's okay." His eyebrows furrowed and Robb remained silent to let him finish. "I was ashamed for what my father did to Elissa's family and I know you knew. I've lost many friends and the Commander is forgiving but…"

"Too much time has passed for you to know for sure," Robb replied. If honesty was required, he would confess that he would have placed the blame on Nathaniel for his father's actions. There was always a measure of a man's father in him, whether it made him proud or made him turn away. "Our friendship remains." Selfishly he knew that he would need all the friends he could get in a foreign land.

Nate smiled but it was a sad one. "Thank you," he said. Robb nodded even though there was nothing to thank him for.

"Can I ask you something?"

Howe gave him a questioning look. "Anything."

"Is the death sentence true?" He asked. Robb wondered if it would have been better to die defending his men or in the Deep Roads after becoming nothing more than a shell of his former self.

His friend hesitated and his expression hardened. That had been enough of a response for him. "I think it's better for you to ask Ellie."

* * *

A gentle push opened the door to Elissa's office quietly and Robb peaked in. He saw the Warden-Commander leaning against her desk as her head rested against her arms on top of a pile of maps. He smiled despite himself. He wanted to touch her but the threat of crossing the line of appropriateness stopped him. He was still a married man and he didn't know if she was spoken for. His face wrinkled at the thought. It didn't matter. What was done, was done. An awkward cough left him and he watched as Elissa moved herself upwards and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You're awake."

He nodded. "I've heard you were worried, so I've come," he told her. She tried to straighten up her desk quickly and muttered something inaudible under her breath. "It's alright."

Elissa paused and smiled a bit before she smoothed out the paper mess that she had created on her desk. "How do you feel?" She asked before making a motion for him to sit. He declined, having been asleep for days he would have rather stood where he was.

"Not that different, surprisingly," he replied. "I was expecting…" In all honesty, he hadn't known what to expect. He had never asked her how her Joining was before, and as he stood there he wished he would have.

She pushed her chair back and stood. Her drake skin armor made no sound as she moved next to him. "That is good to hear," she said with a grin. Her head tilted to the side for a moment and he wondered what she was thinking. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she reached up and tightened the neck strings of his shirt. "How'd you like your armor?"

His own hands went up and caught her wrists. "I'm undeserving of such a gift."Her eyebrows furrowed together but then a small laugh escaped him. "Thank you." She seemed surprised by his gratitude but pleased all the same. Good. He let go of her wrists and she stepped back from him. His eyes glanced down to the floor before he heard her whirl around on the tips of her toes.

"Do you think you're ready for a little trip?" Robb looked up to see Elissa raise an eyebrow at him. Was he ready? Well, he felt like he was. While he had been healed from the attack at the Twins, scarring still remained and the disorientation from his Joining had faded…he didn't know a better time of being ready.

"I get the feeling that 'little' is a relative term," he replied.

The Warden-Commander nodded and went back to her desk. "You'll meet your first darkspawn," she told him.

"Is it true that you can sense when they're close?" Robb asked, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"Want me to spoil it for you?" He shook his head 'no.' He watched her hesitate before she tapped her fingers on the top of her desk. "There's a raven tower past the southern courtyard, it's not hard to miss. I'm sure Edmure and the Blackfish would like to know that you're alive. No doubt that it's been said otherwise."

There was something else behind her voice, something that felt like she was afraid of telling him. His better judgment wanted to push the issue, to call her out on it, but he denied himself that. He owed Elissa much and would not betray that with possible pointless questions. He had been deemed an oath breaker and dishonorable. He would not be known as such in Ferelden. This would be his new start.

"Thank you," he said before he took his leave.

He found the tower without much trouble. The bird master handed him parchment and ink to write his message. There was so much to be said but he couldn't form the words. He wanted news of Riverrun and the North. What happened to the remainder of his men? He closed his eyes, aware that he was being watched and wrote one simple sentence.

_Forgive me for everything that's happened. _


End file.
